Grease-chamber closure and grease cup



July 8, 1930. D. P. bRDwAY- ,7

GREASE CHAMBER CLOSURE AND GREASE CUP Filed Oct. 7. 1926 2 ShoetsPSheet l MYWIIIIIIH; I

e 7 fllllllllllllll l \n i li y. 1 I D. P. ORDWAY 1,770,280

GREASE CHAMBER CLOSURE AND GREASE CUP Filed Oct. '7, 1926 2 Shoots-Sheet 2 Patented July 8, 1930 UNITED STATES ArENroFFicE DONALD r. ORDWAY, or BATTLE REEKQMI HIG'AN, Assrenon '120 AMERICAN STAMP- me 00., or BATTLE cnnnx, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION or MICHIGAN-Q GREASE-CHAMBER. CLOSURE Ann GREASE our Application filed October 7,

This invention is a novel improvement in grease cups and grease'chamber closures, the particular device shown in the drawings 7 being especially designed for use on side rods oflocomotives, the crank-ends of engine pitmen, and the like, where the cups or closures are subjected to great vibration or movement; and its principal object is to provide a' cup or closure capable of withstanding very heavy and rough usage, without loosening or shaking. I. i a

Heretofore'there has beena great loss of grease chamber closures on locomotives, especially those used on the side rods, due to 5 the excessive vibration and jarring to which they are subjected; and although various types of cups and closures have been made and. tried, a wholly satisfactory closure for the greasechambers of locomotive side rods has not heretofore been found; although some of the types used have been very expensive, as they have been found unreliable andzwork loose and come off.

Grease chamber closures or cups-constructedin accordance with the present invention have been subjected to severe practical tests, and some have now been'inuse'on side rods of locomotives which have run over'200,000 miles, and are still eflicient in operation.

A further'object of the invention is'to provide acup or closure which can be economically made of stamped, drawn or cast metal, preferably being made of a combinationof stamped or drawn and cast metal. A further object is to provide a grease chamber closure or grease cup having simple and efiicient means whereby the cover is effectually prevented from working off by jarring or vibration, and which can be depended upon for continuous efliciency under all operative conditions.

- The accompanying drawings illustrate grease chamber closures or grease cups embodying the invention, and I will describe the same with reference thereto and refer to the claims for summaries of the novel features'of construction and novel combinations of parts for which protection is desired.

In said drawings,

Fig. l is a side view of-the complete closure 1926. Serial Nb. 140,199.

orcup; Fig. 2 is a vertical seotionview sembled;.Fig. 8'is a side view partly in section showing 'amodification of the body construction; Fig; 9 isa detail view of a wrench which can be usedto'apply the body.

, :As shown inFigs. 8 and 9,the grease cham-' ber closure or grease cup comprises a body portion, a cover portion, and a locking spring member. In the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 5 the body has acylindric'upper portionl, preferably exteriorlythreaded for engagement withthe cover; the body alsohas a lower portion 1*" preferably exteriorly threaded for engagement with the internally threaded socket in the objectto which the cup is to be applied; such as theside rodof a locomotive. "i r The part 1 as shown is of larger-"diameter than the part 1, and between'these' parts is an outwardly projecting ring or flange 1 which may be hexagonal, as indicatediiniFig. 1. The body mightbe cast, but preferably for convenience of construction the parts 1 and 1 thereof" are formed of drawn metal as indicated in Fig. 2. f t

, In some cases, if desired, the-entire body can be madeof drawn metal as indicated in Fig. 8. When the flange 1? is made of drawn metal itcan be left circular if desired, and the body can then be screwed into position on the member to which it is to be applied by means of a suitable wrench, suchas shown in Fig. 9, hereinafter explained. The top portion 1 of the body is formed with an internally projecting flange 1 on its upper end which is provided at spacedintervals with radial notches 1 cutin the'flange, which notches are adapted to 'beengaged by a locking spring member hereinafter referredto. I

The coverhas a cylindric lower portion 2 preferably interiorly threaded to engage externalthreads of the portionl of the body; and the cover preferably has a polygonal top portion 2 which may be engaged by a wrench to turn the cover on or off the body.

The portion 2 of the cover may be made of drawn metal, and the portion 2 thereof may be made of cast metal and provided with a circular flange 2 at its lower end adapted to fit into the upper end of the part 2, and secured thereto by welding. The part 2* has a preferably angular socket or recess 2 in its underside, and in this angular socket is secured the upper end of a locking spring member.

The locking spring member has its upper end 3 bent at right angles and entered into and fitted against the top of the recess inthe cover, and firmly secured thereto in any suitable manner-a rivet 4 being indicated in the drawing. The upper end of the spring is preferably beveled as at 3* to engage one of the angles of the recess in the cover to prevent the spring turning in the cover. The locking spring has a part 3 depending below the part 2* of the cover and into the part 2; and then is bent outwardly toward the part 2 as at 3, and then is again bent downwardly as at 3, and the lower end of the locking member preferably depends slightly below the lower edge of the member 2.

The lower'extremity of the locking spring is preferably made parti-spherical on its outer face, as shown at 3 and when the cover is screwed onto the body the end 8 of the locking spring presses against the inner edge of the flange 1 and is adapted to engage with any one of the notches 1 and when so engaged will prevent casual rotation of the cover on the body while permitting the cover to be forcibly turned on the body.

In'applying the closure or cup; the portion l of the, body is screwed into an interiorly threaded socket or opening in the object (not shown) to which the cup is to be attached (suchas for example the grease chamber in the side rod of a locomotive or the crank-end of a pitman rod) and after the grease is placed in the chamber or cup as usual, the cover is screwed onto the part 1. The lower part of the locking spring 3 will engage the flange 1, and as soon as the cover is fairly engaged with the part 1, end 3 of the spring will engage one of the notches 1 and hold the cover in any adjusted position; until and unless the cover is forcibly turned.

Heretofore locomotive side rods have been formed with grease chambers or bores which have been closed by cast metal bushings threaded thereinto each having an opening for the insertion of a stick of grease, such opening being closed by a cast metal screw plug. These-cast metal bushings and cast metal plugs soon work loose and the total loss occasioned thereby in the course of a year is considerable. My present invention obviates the use of these cast metal parts and provides a light body which will effectively serve as a closure for the ordinary grease chambers, and a cover that when applied to the closure as described cannot come ofl unless it is forcibly removed. In my closure or cup the cover can be readily removed, a stick of grease inserted, and the cover replaced; and there is no loss of parts or of grease due to the body or cover jarring oft.

If the body is provided with a cylindric flange, such as indicated in Fig. 8, it can be readily turned by means of a wrench 5 having a circular head 5 slightly less in diameter than the flange 1, and adapted to enter the flange, saidheadbeing provided with radial projections 5 adapted to engage the recesses 1 when the head is entered in the flange. By using sucha wrench the body can be readilyv screwed into position or removed.

I claim 1. Adevice for the purpose specified comprising a body having an inwardly projecting flange on its outer end provided with spaced notches; a cover having a threaded lower portion adapted to engage a correspondingly threaded portion of the body and having an angular recess in its top portion; and a locking spring having one end secured invsaid recess and depending below the recess and having an outwardly projecting portion below the recess, and a downwardly. projecting portion on the outer end of the outwardly projecting portion adapted to engage the notches in the flange and prevent rotation of the cover upon the body whilepermitting it to be forcibly turned.

2. A device for the purpose specified comprising a tubular body having an inwardly projecting flange on its upper end provided with spaced notches for engagement of a locking member, an exterior threaded portion on its upper end for engagement of a cap, an exteriorly threaded lower portion of larger diameter than its upper portion adapted to engage an internally threaded socket, and an exterior circumferential ring or flange of still larger diameter between the threaded portions; and .a cover having an interiorly threaded lower. port-ion adapted to engage an upper externally threaded portion of the body and a recess in its upper portion; and a locking spring member having its upper end secured in said recess and depending below the recess adapted to engage the notches in the flange and prevent rotation of the cover upon the body while permitting the cover to be forcibly turned.

3. A cover for the purpose specified having a threaded lower portionadapted to engage the threaded portion of a body, and an angular top portion whereby the cover can be turned; said top portion having an internal angular recess; in combination with a locking spring having one end secured in said recess and its upper extremity engaged with an angle thereof, said spring depending DONALD P. ORDWAY. 

